Why bodyboarding?

Bodyboarding is a sport that can be enjoyed by kids and adults of all ages. It’s easy to learn, safer than surfing and it’s a great form of exercise!

LEARNING CURVE

Virtually anyone can grab a board and start bodyboarding. The learning curve is much smaller because there is no balancing or standing up – just lay your stomach on the board and let the waves take you on a ride! Once you learn the basics, our instructors can teach you how to do spin moves, barrel rolls and more! Learn more…

LEARNING CURVE

Virtually anyone can grab a board and start bodyboarding. The learning curve is much smaller because there is no balancing or standing up – just lay your stomach on the board and let the waves take you on a ride! Once you learn the basics, our instructors can teach you how to do spin moves, barrel rolls and more! Learn more…

SAFER THAN SURFING

Instead of a hard fiberglass board, bodyboarding uses a soft, Styrofoam-like board, so it’s much safer for kids to use out in the water. Also, since you lay your stomach on the board, you don’t have to worry about losing your balance or falling off. Learn more…

THE HISTORY

Bodyboarding first became popular in the 1980s when Tom Morey mass-produced the first bodyboard – or “boogie” board as it was known then. While Morey invented the sport in Hawaii, it truly became a phenomenon right here on the beaches of Orange County, California. Learn more…

THE HISTORY

Bodyboarding first became popular in the 1980s when Tom Morey mass-produced the first bodyboard – or “boogie” board as it was known then. While Morey invented the sport in Hawaii, it truly became a phenomenon right here on the beaches of Orange County, California. Learn more…

LOOKING FOR THE BEST GEAR?

Our partners at eBodyboarding.com offer the best gear for bodyboarders of all ages and skill levels. In addition to offering thousands of bodyboarding products, Chief Boogie Picker, Jay Reale, gives customers helpful advice on how to choose boards, fins and wetsuits as well as how to install leashes, wax boards, and more. Both Jay and his wife, Vicki (the first woman to ever grace the cover of Riptide Magazine), were professional bodyboarders and have infinite knowledge about how to enjoy the sport to the fullest!

The History

The original concept for the bodyboard began at Doheny State Beach when Tom Morey watched a young kid surfing on a couple of polyethylene foam logs held together with PVC pipe. Later, when Tom moved to Hawaii to follow his passion as a Jazz musician (this is where the term “Boogie” came from) he experimented with a piece of polyethylene to enjoy a perfect day of surf at Honols on the Big Island of Hawaii, and ended up starting the sport of “Boogie Boarding” in 1971. By 1973, he had created the Morey Boogie board, and the first professional bodyboarding contest was held in Huntington Beach in 1979. Over the next 20 years, bodyboarding was added to the United States Surfing Championships and World Amateur Surfing Championships where it gained tremendous popularity, especially in Southern California. Today the sport has spread from the beaches of Australia to Portugal to Ireland and is enjoyed by people of all ages, all over the world.

LEARNING CURVE

Bodyboarding is also accessible to people of all ages and physical abilities including those with physical limitations (such as leg, knee or foot issues) since it doesn’t require standing on a board. Our co-founder, Steve Barnes, had little experience in the ocean when he discovered the sport in his early thirties. He was quickly able to learn the basics in a short period of time and “catch the fever” (as they say in the Hawaiian Islands) for a sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.

SAFER THAN SURFING

Ocean Safety and awareness are paramount while out in the water. Recognizing where to be (and where not to be) when a wave comes in can make or break your experience in the water. Understanding how rip currents work and what to do when you are in one is extremely important. Being on a bodyboard with swim fins while you are gaining this crucial ocean knowledge will help build confidence and refine your skills. As a participant in our Summer Camp or private lessons, you’ll learn everything you need to know to stay safe while you enjoy your time in the water.